JnK Plans to Add 450 MBBS, 333 PG Medical Seats
Jammu & Kashmir- To expand medical education capacity, Jammu and Kashmir is planning to add 450 MBBS seats and 333 postgraduate (PG) seats across the region in the 2025 academic year.
In this regard, as per the directives issued by the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir in December 2025, most regional medical colleges have applied for an additional 50 MBBS seats each, reports KashmirLife. It is reported that despite the progress, a severe shortage of qualified faculty members could derail the National Medical Commission (NMC) approval process, which enforces a strict staff-to-student ratio for medical institutions.
This problem is particularly acute in newly established colleges in remote areas such as Handwara and Doda, which struggle to attract qualified faculty due to their location. Although 50 permanent and 51 temporary faculty positions have been filled recently, however, this is not enough to meet the growing demand for medical education.
Moreover, there is also a significant gap in the staffing category, where only 275 medical officer posts and 582 non-gazetted staff vacancies are available, ranging from laboratory technicians to administrative staff, which, however, are referred to the recruitment boards for recruitment.
According to a KashmirLife Media news report, sources said that however, many institutions in Jammu and Kashmir are grappling with chronic faculty shortages, with recruitment efforts at government medical colleges (GMCs) in Srinagar and Jammu lagging for several years. With this, the concerning thing now is that if NMC inspections are conducted strictly, these staff shortages may lead to a reduction in the proposed number of seats.
As per NMC guidelines for infrastructure, every medical college with 150 MBBS seats should have at least 430 hospital beds along with state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms and hostels.
